Evolution and Our Need to Survive

Although Mann dismisses a clear determining factor for power of societies, such as economic need (Marxist), I argue that primacy of power comes from our biological need to survive. Humans require physical and mental protection to successfully survive and produce following generations. Humans’ long gestational period and time required for raising young to adulthood calls for a certain collaborative social structure. Such an established structure (from family to nation state) helps maintain a high chance of survival, and this designates a society. Societies grow and populations become more connected, whether dependent, interstitial, or independent, causing a variation of social power structures. Mann may not consider society to have ‘evolved’, but the complex networks are evolving with humans’ newfound ways of survival. Mann’s divisions of power sources into ideological, military, political, and economic categories provide good framework for my argument. These sources are useful tools to aid in emerging societies, but they still derive from one common determining factor. Ideological sources fulfill the roles (sense of meaning) to a protective social structure, so that individuals understand their role and importance to the society. Norms and rituals allow for a larger society, like a nation, to maintain a sense of closeness like a family. Political sources allow for ideological sources to be disbursed and enforced. Both political and ideological power sources create a sense of mental stability for a society. Physical protection is offered from the other two sources. Military sources allow for a defensive and offensive force to protect people against nature or other groups. Economic sources include many of the requirements of survival (such as physical nourishment), and are especially important when more than one society is interacting (trading, commerce, etc). The primacy for humans to survive has created necessary power solutions to continue our success, and changes are constantly being made. Mann admits that advances in military technology can alter social structure, so as we are slowly evolving to become more advanced survivors so are the social power structures that follow.